Chapter 2: The Noble Outcast

Vito opened his eyes and saw a boundless world of swirling colors. He flew through it, feeling warm and protected. “Is this Heaven? I could get used to this.” He tried to make light of his situation, but he still felt a sense of longing for his family. They were sad to see him fall, and he would do anything to ease their pain.

Vito sensed a presence near him. “Such a poor soul…” A woman’s voice echoed around him. Soft and gentle, he felt at peace. “Vito. A name that means “life” in your tongue. Your life came to an end far too soon. It is not your time to join your ancestors in the world of light and life.”

A woman in a flowing white gown and long white hair appeared beside him. Her long silver hair trailed behind her, a true divine vision. A kind smile formed across her lips. She took Vito’s hand and guided him along. “Come, O kind and brave child. A new life awaits. It may not be easy, but you will find those who will reach for your hand. They will help you as you help them. You will find a new family here, and rise far above those who would see you condemned.”

Vito’s numerous questions were silenced as he and the mysterious woman flew above a new world. The night sky was clear, and a brilliant pale moon hung overhead. A medieval city stretched below them with a large castle standing at the center.

They flew faster toward a grandiose mansion a few blocks from the castle. “All will be well, Vito DeCapio.” They stopped above the manor, and her expression changed. She seemed tired and annoyed. “Though I wish you had been given a different welcome to Rhavina. The natural order can sometimes frustrate even me.”

Vito’s consciousness faded before he could ask the goddess what she meant. Muffled voices surrounded him. He struggled to open his eyes and was nearly blinded by the light hanging above him.

“My lord, it’s a boy!” A man dressed in a white uniform announced. Vito’s eyes adjusted to the light. He tried to move his limbs and quickly discovered that they were far shorter than he remembered.

“Ahh!” Vito tried to speak, and only a baby’s cry came out. He turned his tiny hands around and recognized the knife-shaped birthmark on the back of his right hand. The doctor wrapped him in a warm blanket and handed him over to his new father.

“Finally, a boy to stand as my heir,” the lord said in relief.

“Congratulations, Lord Casterwell,” the doctor patted him on his shoulder.

“What should we name him, darling?” His new mother looked disheveled, sitting on a grand bed.

“Cyneric sounds like a strong name. It’s Duke Godfrey’s name. That will most certainly get his attention,” the lord suggested. Vito narrowed his eyes in disgust.

“I like that name,” his mother replied. Whether it was true or not, Vito couldn’t say. She sounded like a kind woman.

Vito heard the doors swing open. He looked over and saw three men dressed in fine dark robes. The one in the center held a crystal orb in his hands. “Lord Casterwell, the Mages' Association has been looking forward to this day,” the man announced. “Given your prodigious talents and stats, your son is sure to become a shining star in no time.”

“Yes. Our Cyneric will become a legend,” his father agreed.

The robed men approached them, and his father held him out. “Hmm…” the mage looked into the crystal ball as it came alight with magic. “Oh! He has great potential! His mental stats are already quite high. His magic and physical potentials are equally impressive.”

The lord seemed pleased with the results. “And? What is his element? Fire, like mine. Perhaps wind like Syrene’s. Maybe even the ever-rare light element. Surely the goddess Ivalis herself smiles upon him.”

The mage continued to peer into his crystal ball. His expression changed from surprised to grim. Even his comrades appeared dissatisfied. “My lord, his stats are truly amazing, but his element… he does not have one.”

“What?!” the lord was outraged. “Impossible! My first son cannot be an outcast!” He seemed anxious.

Despite his objections, the mages did not correct their assessment. “I’m sorry, my lord. Cyneric is without an element.”

Vito had no idea what they were talking about. He came to realize that magic existed in this new world. He even met the local goddess. The concepts of “stats” and “elements” were lost on him.

“Get rid of him,” Lord Casterwell ordered. “I will not have an outcast in my bloodline, and let no one in Kyrenia, or the whole of Avreora, know of this,” he commanded. “The goddess has forsaken him, and so will I.”

Vito was alarmed. He looked from his father to his mother. She made no move to stop what was happening. An armed guard took Vito from Lord Casterwell and left the room. There was a clear urgency in his actions.

The guard took a horse and rode away from the manor. “I’m so sorry, child. You were born to a greedy and ambitious man,” the guard said, his face reflecting sorrow and resentment. “He has done good things. He fought in battle to save others. He’s given coins to the poor and built hospitals to serve the less fortunate,” he grit his teeth as he rode off the main roads and into the wilderness. “I did not expect such evil from them.”

“There is a guild for outcasts, those who were not blessed with an element,” he explained. “They were not forsaken by Ivalis! The goddess does not forsake the innocent, and she would never forsake a newborn.”

They rode for well over an hour to reach a forest. “I don’t know where the outcast guild rests. There are rumors that they travel this way very often.” The guard dismounted and carefully placed Vito onto the cool grass and slipped a small note in one of the blanket folds. “They will take care of you, child. You were not born into this world simply to die.” He drew his sword and aimed at the sky. A wave of magic rippled from the hilt and exploded out of the tip. An arcane explosion erupted in the sky, a brilliant display and a call for help. “They will be your family.”